Packages, such as paper rolls, must be covered or wrapped before they are shipped and handled. The wrapping serves to protect the package or roll from impact damage and to seal such things as moisture and foreign substances outside of the package.
Various roll wrapping systems and other packaging systems have been developed over the years to protect the rolls from impact damage and moisture during shipping and handling. A common problem in wrapping rolls has been encountered when attempting to seal the ends of the partially wrapped roll. A circular head is typically installed at each end of the roll.
Traditionally, a heavy, self-supporting head has been installed by holding the head with suction at the end of the roll while the wrapper tube extension is crimped over the head to secure the head in place. Modern roll wrapping techniques now use a lightweight, flexible, plastic-covered head for the inside head. This inside head cannot be handled or applied in a conventional manner.
Heads have been stapled or fastened by other mechanical means to a fiber core at the center of the roll. This requires the head to be made of a heavy, self-supporting material so that the portion of the head above the point of attachment will not fall down.
While it is generally preferable to use a lightweight material as a moisture barrier in wrapping, those in the art have recognized that lightweight heads are not self-supporting and thus cannot be secured to the end of the roll by crimping alone or by securing the lightweight head to the center fiber core of the roll.